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Help with Eustation Tube Dysfunction
Hello. My fiance has been suffering with eustation tube dysfunction for a little over 6mths. now. We have tried numerous decongestants and nasal sprays as well as a round of steroids. His ENT did allergy testing on him, however, he did not have any significant allergies. Our last resort was to have PE tubes placed. This only made his symptoms worse and they took them out after a couple of weeks. Suprisingly after they took the tubes out and his ears were healing, he was symptom free. When the holes closed up he began with the same symptoms all over again. He has constant pressure in both ears, a fluid-like feeling (though the doctors say there is no fluid), and a stuffy nose. He is completely miserable and losing all hope of getting better. We are at a loss. He has thought about having the PE tubes put back in and giving it a little longer this time to see if they will help. We are both scared and upset and have no idea what to do at this point. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Is there any other treatment at all for this disorder??
Thank you so much,
Amy
Thank you so much,
Amy
I've been suffering from Patulous Eustachian Tube (PET) for 2 years and feel everyone's pain. I also heard my own heartbeat, my own breathing and my voice sounded as if I was underwater. It drove me crazy, but I wanted to share what I have finally found works for me and I hope it works for you too. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to finally find something gave me my life back.
After seeing 10 doctors - 2 chiros, 3 ENTs, 1 Neurosurgeon, 1 Neurologist, 1 Family Doctor, 1 Rheumatologist and 1 Maxillofacial Surgeon NO ONE could help me nor were they sympathetic. But this forum has been extremely helpful. I put together what everyone was saying about staying hydrated and did a bunch of other research to find out what would be most effective. So here’s my logic behind my simple recommendation…
1st Staying over hydrated helps- not just 8 glasses of water but 10-14 depending on your size, activity level, etc.
2nd Salt and soluble fiber helps to keep water in your system
3rd Warm to hot water is more easily absorbed by your body than cold water.
4th Drinking small sips of water throughout the day will strengthen the palette muscle, which holds up the Eustachian tube.
So… I buy chicken broth (obviously has salt in it already) Kroger’s Private Selection brand is the one I like the best. I then add 2 tsp of Metamucil (higher fiber than Benefiber) to 2 Cups of broth and I heat it up in the microwave for 1½ minutes and drink it first thing in the morning. I then continue to sip water throughout the day about 8 glasses for me. This forced me to use the restroom all night, but I use that as an opportunity to drink water, which I keep on my nightstand now. This system has worked like a charm for me and I hope it works for you too.
After seeing 10 doctors - 2 chiros, 3 ENTs, 1 Neurosurgeon, 1 Neurologist, 1 Family Doctor, 1 Rheumatologist and 1 Maxillofacial Surgeon NO ONE could help me nor were they sympathetic. But this forum has been extremely helpful. I put together what everyone was saying about staying hydrated and did a bunch of other research to find out what would be most effective. So here’s my logic behind my simple recommendation…
1st Staying over hydrated helps- not just 8 glasses of water but 10-14 depending on your size, activity level, etc.
2nd Salt and soluble fiber helps to keep water in your system
3rd Warm to hot water is more easily absorbed by your body than cold water.
4th Drinking small sips of water throughout the day will strengthen the palette muscle, which holds up the Eustachian tube.
So… I buy chicken broth (obviously has salt in it already) Kroger’s Private Selection brand is the one I like the best. I then add 2 tsp of Metamucil (higher fiber than Benefiber) to 2 Cups of broth and I heat it up in the microwave for 1½ minutes and drink it first thing in the morning. I then continue to sip water throughout the day about 8 glasses for me. This forced me to use the restroom all night, but I use that as an opportunity to drink water, which I keep on my nightstand now. This system has worked like a charm for me and I hope it works for you too.
I've had reduced hearing and stuff in my right Eustachian tube since August 2003, when I went on an awesome 2 week scuba diving trip. I think the 20+ hours of air travel and 48+ hours of no sleep to get there, plus being in a flying incubator, i.e., an airplane, started the problem. Couldn't clear very well for the first week, missed a few quite a few dives in Palau. 2nd week was Truk/Chuuk. Thankfully, it cleared up by then, at least as far as being able to clear my right ear. That was really fun, with the WWII wrecks, and then 3 reef shark dives, 2 with a bucket of chum that was released 15 feet in front of us, anchored at 60 feet by a 10 foot line or so. We all sat in a semi-circle and kept our appendages close to our bodies, trying NOT to look like food.
Anyway... ;)
I would still dearly love to go diving. Out of shape, fat, and have a toddler now. And, with the latest sinus infection, I seem to now have a fully blocked right ET. Lovely.
I read in the thread that someone tried dramamine. Will give that a shot. Have been given Fluticasone Propionate nasal spray, which I believe is the generic for Flonase. Haven't had much luck, and often it feels like my sinuses are too stuffed up for the steroid to get to where it NEEDS to be.
I've tested negative for allergies. I do know that I have more sinus problems during times other people's allergies kick in, so I am either allergic to something I haven't been tested for, OR I am simply allergic to having more particulate matter in the air.
Someone mentioned intentional snoring. When I was in week 1 of the scuba vacation, a gal told me to massage the gums behind my molars. And thanks to the allergy-like symptoms, I've been on all kinds of anti-histamines. Thanks to the scuba, and abusing anti-histamines to help me sleep and clear my stupid sinues, I know about the histamine rebound that causes all dive instructors to tell you not to take antihistamine before a dive. [Yet most dive instructors will then mention, unofficially, the red sudafed, which is the non-drowsy sudafed. I don't think they make it in the little red pills anymore, but the formula probably is still sold by the makers of Sudafed. But the worry is of course that the sudafed will affect your ability to think when underwater, or that it will stop working at a certain point and you won't be able to clear your ears in order to rise to the surface. I always figured I could bring some sudafed on the dive with me if necessary... shoot, one dive instructor had me eat raw scallops underwater... tasted great! And I know sometimes divers bring fresh water in a hikers water-bladder thingy. Makes sense. Being underwater doesn't mean you lose the ability to chew or swallow. :) ]
Someone else here mentioned massage. Someone else mentioned getting a root canal, and someone else said that you have to request specialized tests to actually get a test that can SEE where the fluid build-up is.
I have a tooth on my upper right jaw that sortof seems hurt when I shake my head sharply. Am wondering if part of my ETD is that I need a tooth removed. Or maybe this is a case of "referred" pain.
I've been told to nasal douche and use Flonase. And use antihistamines to dry up my sinuses. Been doing all of that.
So, it sounds like I need to add massaging my gums, getting a massage, forced snoring, this possibly fictitious device to pop my ears, dramamine, root canal, and some other torture. [Haven't ready the whole thread.]
Anyone have anything to add? :)
Oh, and I have been pregnant once (hence the toddler), but I don't remember if my symptoms got worse then. I do know that my right ear wasn't too bad up until 2 weeks ago.
Anyway... ;)
I would still dearly love to go diving. Out of shape, fat, and have a toddler now. And, with the latest sinus infection, I seem to now have a fully blocked right ET. Lovely.
I read in the thread that someone tried dramamine. Will give that a shot. Have been given Fluticasone Propionate nasal spray, which I believe is the generic for Flonase. Haven't had much luck, and often it feels like my sinuses are too stuffed up for the steroid to get to where it NEEDS to be.
I've tested negative for allergies. I do know that I have more sinus problems during times other people's allergies kick in, so I am either allergic to something I haven't been tested for, OR I am simply allergic to having more particulate matter in the air.
Someone mentioned intentional snoring. When I was in week 1 of the scuba vacation, a gal told me to massage the gums behind my molars. And thanks to the allergy-like symptoms, I've been on all kinds of anti-histamines. Thanks to the scuba, and abusing anti-histamines to help me sleep and clear my stupid sinues, I know about the histamine rebound that causes all dive instructors to tell you not to take antihistamine before a dive. [Yet most dive instructors will then mention, unofficially, the red sudafed, which is the non-drowsy sudafed. I don't think they make it in the little red pills anymore, but the formula probably is still sold by the makers of Sudafed. But the worry is of course that the sudafed will affect your ability to think when underwater, or that it will stop working at a certain point and you won't be able to clear your ears in order to rise to the surface. I always figured I could bring some sudafed on the dive with me if necessary... shoot, one dive instructor had me eat raw scallops underwater... tasted great! And I know sometimes divers bring fresh water in a hikers water-bladder thingy. Makes sense. Being underwater doesn't mean you lose the ability to chew or swallow. :) ]
Someone else here mentioned massage. Someone else mentioned getting a root canal, and someone else said that you have to request specialized tests to actually get a test that can SEE where the fluid build-up is.
I have a tooth on my upper right jaw that sortof seems hurt when I shake my head sharply. Am wondering if part of my ETD is that I need a tooth removed. Or maybe this is a case of "referred" pain.
I've been told to nasal douche and use Flonase. And use antihistamines to dry up my sinuses. Been doing all of that.
So, it sounds like I need to add massaging my gums, getting a massage, forced snoring, this possibly fictitious device to pop my ears, dramamine, root canal, and some other torture. [Haven't ready the whole thread.]
Anyone have anything to add? :)
Oh, and I have been pregnant once (hence the toddler), but I don't remember if my symptoms got worse then. I do know that my right ear wasn't too bad up until 2 weeks ago.
I have found that forcing myself to snore while awake will drain my middle ears.
I lie on my back with my mouth closed and while breathing in my nose I put the end of my tongue to the roof of my mouth next to my front teeth and press upward just enough to partially restrict the incoming air. It makes a snoring sound. That puts the fluid in my throat so I open my mouth and blow it out when I exhale.
It is just snoring; nature's way of clearing the head.
There was a Nurse practitioner in training at my last doc visit and I told her that two docs told me I had Meniere's disease. The Doc told the Nurse that I did not have meniere's disease but Eustachian tube disfunction.
I lie on my back with my mouth closed and while breathing in my nose I put the end of my tongue to the roof of my mouth next to my front teeth and press upward just enough to partially restrict the incoming air. It makes a snoring sound. That puts the fluid in my throat so I open my mouth and blow it out when I exhale.
It is just snoring; nature's way of clearing the head.
There was a Nurse practitioner in training at my last doc visit and I told her that two docs told me I had Meniere's disease. The Doc told the Nurse that I did not have meniere's disease but Eustachian tube disfunction.
The main thing I notice when I float in the pool is that my ears will click almost every time I extend my jaw like I was going to yawn. I think this may train the muscles of the Eustachian tube to open and close.
After I leave the pool my ears stop clicking but I learned that if I lay flat on my back with my head hanging over the bed or place a small pillow under the hump in my back that the clicking will continue.
Also, I learned that sitting in a straight back chair I can get in just the right correct posture and my ears will start clicking again.
I try to carry this position and clicking on past the pool, bed, and chair.
I came up with this after being depressed because sucking the fluid out of my head helps but never cures. So instead of having a goal of cleaning the fluid out of my ears I now have the goal of keeping my ET clicking.
I have been doing it for two days and the improvement is dramatic.
After I leave the pool my ears stop clicking but I learned that if I lay flat on my back with my head hanging over the bed or place a small pillow under the hump in my back that the clicking will continue.
Also, I learned that sitting in a straight back chair I can get in just the right correct posture and my ears will start clicking again.
I try to carry this position and clicking on past the pool, bed, and chair.
I came up with this after being depressed because sucking the fluid out of my head helps but never cures. So instead of having a goal of cleaning the fluid out of my ears I now have the goal of keeping my ET clicking.
I have been doing it for two days and the improvement is dramatic.
Some things I have learned about opening my ears.
Floating in a 86 degree swimming pool opens my ears for the duration and for about 2 hours later. This has held true for years but yesterday I increased the temperature to 88 degrees and the magic ear opener failed for the first time. When the pool was 86 degrees my ears would often open before I got in to my waist. Maybe the cold water does the job. I wonder about running some cold water in the bath tub and putting my feet in. My uncle use to tell me that his stopped up sinuses would open when his bare feet hit a cold floor. Conversely, a fan blowing on my head will stop up my sinuses and ears every time.
My Chiropractor made a big crack on a vertebra about 7" up on my spine and both ears popped open and stayed open for about 4 hours. That is great but I would need to have a Chiropractor 24/7 to keep my ears open.
The Physician has a book that tells him the cure for ET Vertigo. Prescribe 3 things: Antivert, Steroid nasal spray and Valium. No Doc has or will prescribe me Valium. So I am not getting the best medical care because the doctors are afraid to prescribe Valium. I googled the first physician who refused Valium and learned he had just gotten back his license to practice after an investigation on him having too many patients die from drug over dose. His comment was, "he will never prescribe muscle relaxers, even if the patient needs them.
I am slowly getting better but if I stop my efforts I will revert back to vertigo within 10 hours.
Also, antivert and nasal spray helps me for about two days and then I get much worse. My theory on this is that a little medicine opens my ears but too much dries out my head to the point where nothing can drain.
I am looking for just the right amount.
Floating in a 86 degree swimming pool opens my ears for the duration and for about 2 hours later. This has held true for years but yesterday I increased the temperature to 88 degrees and the magic ear opener failed for the first time. When the pool was 86 degrees my ears would often open before I got in to my waist. Maybe the cold water does the job. I wonder about running some cold water in the bath tub and putting my feet in. My uncle use to tell me that his stopped up sinuses would open when his bare feet hit a cold floor. Conversely, a fan blowing on my head will stop up my sinuses and ears every time.
My Chiropractor made a big crack on a vertebra about 7" up on my spine and both ears popped open and stayed open for about 4 hours. That is great but I would need to have a Chiropractor 24/7 to keep my ears open.
The Physician has a book that tells him the cure for ET Vertigo. Prescribe 3 things: Antivert, Steroid nasal spray and Valium. No Doc has or will prescribe me Valium. So I am not getting the best medical care because the doctors are afraid to prescribe Valium. I googled the first physician who refused Valium and learned he had just gotten back his license to practice after an investigation on him having too many patients die from drug over dose. His comment was, "he will never prescribe muscle relaxers, even if the patient needs them.
I am slowly getting better but if I stop my efforts I will revert back to vertigo within 10 hours.
Also, antivert and nasal spray helps me for about two days and then I get much worse. My theory on this is that a little medicine opens my ears but too much dries out my head to the point where nothing can drain.
I am looking for just the right amount.
My name is Renee, I've been sufferring from a clogged right ear since the end of April. Just before my ear became clogged I was sick with a sinus infection which I treated with over the counter meds. On May 1st I had to be taken to the ER due to dizziness and head pain. I was then diagnosed with an ear infection. I was prescribed antibiotics and ear drops which I took for the next 10 days. Nothing changed infact I felt worse. I tried to get an appointment with my primary he was booked so I saw the on call Dr. He checked me over and said I had ear infections in both my ears and what the ER Dr presrcibe me was not meant to treat the type of infection I had. He then prescribed me a new stronger antibiotic and ear drops which I proceeded to take for the next 6 days. NOTHING! I finally got an appt with my prime Dr, still had the ear infection only to the right ear the left fortunately cleared. He then explained that the ER & on call Dr gave me the wrong type of meds. I asked if he would please refer me to an ENT being that I was miserable for at this time 5 weeks or so. He said no lets try this last dose of "correct" antibiotics and steroids. Ok that was on a Thursday, the following Tuesday I'm back in the ER experiencing an overwhelming pain to my head, neck, shoulder, and right ear. The ER Dr exams me to find swelling and tenderness to the right side of my neck and head. She orders a CT scan. Sure enough I have fluid backed up all the ways to my head, neck, shoulder, and ear. Sends me home with pain meds and tells me to see my primary for a referral to see an ENT. I do just that. The ENT I saw was a quack. He wouldn't even take the time to listen to the history of my problem, the medications I've been on, anything that I had to say went in one ear and out the other. He sent me home telling me to plug my nose and blow at least twice a day then see him in 2 weeks. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Are you kidding me, had it been that simple of a solution I would have cured myself weeks ago. Frustrated I went back to my primary and got another referral to another ENT. At first I thought hey we're finally getting somewhere but of course I got ahead of myself. This ENT examed me, doing a bunch of random hearing test, pressure tests and blood work. He determined that I indeed had an ear infection that at this time there was fluid behind my eardrum, and that I had at least 28% nerve damage. He said I was on the right type of medication but being that I had 2 previous doses of antibiotics my body was resisting the meds but to go ahead and complete the dosage. He said he needed an MRI to better see what was happening that he would order one stat then after my MRI I should try to get in to see a neurologist. Kept my follow up appt with my prime explaining to him what this ENT said and asked him for a referral to a neurologist just to be one step ahead of things. Waited 2 weeks, I hadn't heard anything about my MRI. In the mean time I tried to function normally. I'm a single mom with two boys. Worked feeling like crap, came home made dinner, did homework feeling like crap. Went to bed and woke up to do it all over again feeling like crap. Lost sleep, lost weight, most importantly lost hope. I called the ENT's office, turns out he never ordered the MRI stat. Might take up to 5 weeks before getting an approval due to having an HMO. Got attitude from receptionist at Drs office. Drove by to pick up a copy of the request so at this point I could manually take it to whom ever needed to approve it. Crying in agony and upset that these Drs and their employees have zero compassion for what their patients are going through, I got a little snippy and said hopefully I won't drop dead of something more serious going on before I recieve my MRI approval, the a-hole Dr then replied "HOPEFULLY" with a smerk on his face. The following week I was back in the ER. I felt like I was dying. Chest pain, head and ear pain, neck pain, pain to my right arm. I was breaking out in hives, just miserable. Got the best ER Dr ever! He not only got me my MRI, he got me 3 MRI's, one w/contrast, one w/o contrast and an MRA. Thankfully they all came back negative for anything serious such as tumors however they all showed fluid in my mastoids, fluid in my ear, fluid in my neck and shoulder as well as head. He said I needed to follow up with my ENT to hopefully get a solution to draining the fluid. Saw the ENT the next morning with all my test results in hand and was basically treated like garbage. He said there was nothing wrong with my ear, there was no fluid and he could no longer do anything for me. That was on June 11th. I was taken off work and placed on disability by my primary Dr for being chronically fatigued, stressed, and pain to my ear. I went to see the neurologist on June 29th, he was going to begin to tell me after listening to my story that there really isn't anything he can do, I need an ear specialist, but after examing me he discovered that my head is still very swollen. I feel a tingly sensation to the right side of my head and face caused from nerve damage. I am currently on meds for nerve pain, still no results. I see him again on August 3rd to have injections to my head and face. I saw my primary Dr last Thursday, I have another sinus infection with swollen glands. He just laughs it off calling me his rare case for this year because I have not been properly diagnosed. This *****, there the Drs who we have to turn to when feeling ill and they just dismiss us with no care in the world. I still haven't returned to work and yes I am still living day in and day out with fullness to my right ear as if its just going to explode, and head, neck, shoulder, and arm pain. I just want to feel normal again....Thanks for listening!
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